CoLu Week 2016
by leoslady4ever
Summary: My first attempt at both participating in CoLu Week and writing Cobra in general! YAY! Let's hope I don't flop! My prompts will be out of sequence and form an entire story. Hope you enjoy!
1. Raspberry

_Congratulations everyone! We've made it to CoLu Week! Now, there's a couple things you'll need to know before we start our journey, and here, they are:_

 _1\. These prompts will all be tied in together to make one big story._

 _2\. The prompts will be rearranged to better fit the flow of said story._

 _3\. Some chapters may be posted late as I do have a job now, and I'm finishing things up at school. So please bear with me._

 _Other than that, there's nothing else you need to know...except that I'm not sure at all that I write Cobra to perfection. lol He's new for me, so forgive me if he's a little OOC. **LittlePrincessNana** says he's not OOC in my writing, but she loves me so she's kinda biased. lol_

* * *

 _As always, **Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail, not me. Sadly._

* * *

 **Day 1: Raspberry**

Well, this was it. She was going to die.

She knew it as surely as she knew the number of sexual partners she'd had in the last year. It was all of one, which was pathetic enough all on its own, but when you considered the 9 month long dry spell she was currently living through, the depth of her pathetic state became that much clearer.

And still, that wasn't the most pitiful thing about her life right now.

No, the real tragedy was the fact that she was in fact probably only minutes away from making that dry spell permanent. It really was cause for alarm, but after lying on the soft, forest floor for a solid minute – or was it two – Lucy was finding it difficult to dredge up the necessary energy to actually freak out.

She was fairly certain it had something to do with the dart hanging out of her neck. Then again, she could be wrong. Maybe she'd actually lost her mind. Or maybe she was dreaming.

 _Was that possible?_

Could she have dreamed up this whole mission? The nasty little bushy-faced man hiding in the forest, plundering jewelry from the carriages passing by? Could she have even dreamed up the poisoned dart he'd shot at her?

And the paralysis?

She paused at that as her stomach rumbled and suddenly found herself wondering, if she had dreamed all this up in her head, why on earth she hadn't dreamed herself up some lunch too.

She hated being hungry, but never more than when she couldn't actually physically eat something. Then again, that had never happened before. Still, she decided, it was fucking annoying, especially since, even if she had hands that worked – or a mouth for that matter – she didn't actually have any food with her.

A low whine began in her throat, and Lucy nearly cheered when the sound finally pushed its way past her barely parted lips. She hadn't actually been sure she could make sounds anymore.

Too bad no one else was there to hear it and celebrate with her. Or save her, for that matter. Mustn't forget she was dying.

Or maybe she was just paralyzed forever.

That would really suck. Who would dress her? Her mind instantly went to Erza and the swan dress she so proudly displayed in her room, and suddenly Lucy wanted to cry. Her friends wouldn't be that cruel, right?

Levy might take pity on her, but the poor girl was so much tinier than Lucy was herself. How on earth would she be able to maneuver such a thing? And she wasn't even going to get into the whole bathing thing.

At the very least, she could count on her guildmates to feed her, right? That is, if she didn't die out here first.

From across the quiet clearing, Lucy heard a crunch, and she found herself trying to move her head to see what was there. Only her body didn't want to respond. It could have been a bear. A wolf. A dinosaur! But how the hell would she know?

Maybe it was a nice grandma bringing her a basket of treats. Mmm...treats. Maybe brownies. Or cookies. Or...oh what if it was cupcakes?!

The sounds came ever closer, close enough for Lucy to hear the individual steps. And then, a head moved into her path of vision, and Lucy laughed.

Well, she grunted, but to her mind, it totally counted!

And yay, it was a person!

"What the hell..."

The person leaned in, and finally Lucy was able to make out their features. It took her a moment to place the single eye and maroon colored hair, but once she did, she tried to call his name.

 _Cobra!_

….Of course, her lips refused to say it.

 _Stupid lips._

Didn't they understand the importance of greeting someone when they arrived? Especially someone who might save her life?!

She tried again, but once more, the only sound she could produce was a grunt. Stupid tongue was being stupid too.

Oh well, at least Cobra could tell her team she died. Of course, that didn't make her feel as good as she'd anticipated it would. After all, who wanted to die like this?

The man above her dipped his head where she could see him and huffed, "You're not gonna die."

Well, that was good news. Unless she was going to be paralyzed for life. Considering it would be Fairy Tail taking care of her, that might not be a good thing either. Mira would treat her like a doll, dressing her up in frilly dresses and moving her body around as if her limbs were attached to strings.

 _Oh Mavis, this was going to be bad. Maybe Cobra would just spare her the agony and kill her himself._

Cobra burst out laughing at that, then shook his head. "You're not gonna be paralyzed either. And I'm not killing your ass. Now shut up and let me work."

Lucy thought about that for a second, really thought about it, and decided that this Cobra might not be so bright. Cause she couldn't actually _say_ anything. Cause you know...she was paralyzed, and that meant she couldn't talk.

So how could she now shut up when she hadn't been talking in the first place?

"Oh for God's sake..." He muttered before reaching across to the dart in her neck. He pulled it out, then held it up and licked it.

 _Ewwww..._

Lucy blanched, or she might have...if she could. It was a little impossible at the moment seeing how she couldn't move her face and all. Still, she could at least be grossed out, and she was...

...Except now she was hungry again.

She wondered if he brought her any food. She'd take just about anything at this point. Well, maybe not _anything_. She did have standards.

Cobra laughed. "And just how the fuck do you intend to eat it?"

It? He said it. Did that mean he actually had something with him? Oh, how she wished she could move!

"No, I don't have a fucking thing to feed you, not that you could do anything with it if I did." He bent down, his face closer than she expected. "Now, sit still like a good fucking girl so I can suck the poison out. Okay?"

She supposed he meant that literally...like he was literally going to suck the poison out of her body, but all Lucy could think was how dirty it sounded.

 _Sit still like a good fucking girl..._

Oh she could be a very good girl when she wanted to be. Like when she really wanted something...like food. Or sex. She was a very good girl when it came to sex. She vaguely heard a choking sound above her, and she wished she could see his face so she'd know if he was dying too. And how would that look? Her dead on the ground and him dead on top of her. He'd look like a zombie pervert going after her cookies!

 _Oh cookies...where's a cookie when she needed one?_

"The shit you think about..." Cobra coughed. Well, it might have been a cough or it might have been a laugh. Lucy wasn't sure because well, she couldn't see him. And guys were weird.

He finally moved into her vision, and Lucy remembered what he was supposed to be doing. But how was he going to suck the poison out? Was he going to put his mouth on her neck and suck? Oh, maybe it would be like a hickey. She liked hickeys...well, sometimes. She knew she wasn't supposed to like them. They looked bad afterward, but they felt soooo good during. Was Cobra going to do it like that?

Her heart skipped a beat as he snickered and leaned in close. "Nope. Not even close."

His mouth dropped over hers a second later, and she could feel him softly inhaling against her parted lips. It was so not what she was expecting, and yet, it didn't really bother her.

Then again, nothing really bothered her right now. Well, nothing except her stomach. That was driving her nuts. At this point, she was fairly certain she'd kill someone for a piece of fruit. Mmm...yeah, maybe a peach. No, too messy with her mouth all fucked up like this. She'd never get it down her throat.

"That's what she said." Cobra pulled back with a laugh.

 _Good one..._

Lucy watched his face as he moved over her again and found herself studying his lips as they descended. They were strangely red. Well, not exactly red. At least not the deep sort of red you'd see in a fire. It was more like...food.

 _Yeah_ , she hummed as Cobra burst out laughing again. Yeah, it looked like he'd rubbed a bright red raspberry all over his lips...

They looked so good. She loved raspberries, almost as much as she loved chocolate. They were tart and sweet and juicy. Were Cobra's lips were juicy like that?

 _Could lips even be juicy?_

Lucy thought back to the men she'd kissed in the past and found herself scrutinizing each. It was a pathetically short list with the number just barely topping her sex list, and it depressed her marginally to think it might end there.

What if she never got another chance to kiss someone again? What if she died before finding out if lips could be juicy? If she died today, there would be no more sex. There'd be no more anything.

 _This couldn't be it! She couldn't die with a musty crotch!_

Cobra coughed above her... _probably choking on a piece of food he was hoarding from her, the bastard._ But Lucy couldn't worry about that right now. She had bigger problems to think about.

 _Like the dust bunnies in her hoohah!_

Feeling defeated, Lucy whined. She just wanted a kiss – one more toe-curling kiss. A really great one with lots of tongue. Well, maybe not lots. She didn't wanna choke, after all...or drown. In her mind, she could she see that old boyfriend, the one who'd always given her such horrible kisses. His tongue had been like a propeller in her mouth...like a propeller with an endless supply of saliva.

 _Ugh...she hated messy kisses like that._ Messy downstairs kisses were great. Her panties could handle the tsunami from that. But regular kisses? Nope, they required a perfect balance of wet tongue.

"What the fuck," Cobra howled, shaking his head as he hovered above her. "You've gotta stop or I'm never gonna get the poison out of you."

Lucy watched him lean in again, his raspberry-colored lips moving back to their place over hers, and she couldn't help but think this whole thing gave new meaning to sucking face.

She felt Cobra shake against her, but he stayed resolutely above her, his lips still sealed perfectly over her own. She wondered what would happen if he didn't get it all, if he missed even a tiny bit.

The man lifted his head a fraction of an inch, too close for Lucy to really see his expression, and mumbled, "You die."

She thought about that for a second - about him essentially kissing her to suck out the poison, him failing, her dying - and found herself wanting to laugh. It would be an actual kiss of death. She supposed that wouldn't be too bad. If she had to go, it wasn't the worst way to kick the bucket.

Cobra sat back with a bark of laughter, past her line of sight, and groaned. "I cannot save your fucking life if you keep that shit up!"

She wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about. What the hell had she done to prevent him from saving her life? She couldn't even _move!_

His head appeared above her almost immediately, his face exasperated but...amused? "You think too damn much!"

She peered up at him and wondered how she was supposed to help that? All she could do was think.

"Just...stop doing it!"

But...she couldn't. Could she? Well, it _was_ her brain, so shouldn't she be able to tell it to stop? Then again, her brain was what controlled everything in her body, even her breathing, so wouldn't that mean that she _couldn't_ tell her brain what to do? It was all so confusing!

"Stop!"

She tried. She really did, but every time he said something, his lips moved. And then her brain did stuff. It wasn't her fault. Really, it wasn't. It was his. After all, he was the only one talking. She hadn't made a peep!

He was the one talking and laughing and moving his lips all over the place and making her think of things. So actually, he was the one that needed to stop!

"I swear," Cobra griped, a glare fighting with a smile on his face. "You're pain in the ass."

She'd heard that before...but where?

"Don't even start," he warned, trying once more to cover her mouth with his own.

Once more, she tried to do as he asked, tried to keep her mind empty, but just as she thought – completely without thinking, of course – that she'd gotten a handle on it, she felt a breeze go by. It felt nice, cool, refreshing.

There was only one problem. She felt it somewhere she shouldn't have.

Her breast. Her left breast...or was it the right?

Was her boob hanging out?

Was that why she felt that breeze against the soft skin there?

Slightly panicked, Lucy waited for another slight gust to come by to confirm her fears, and when it did, she nearly had a mental break.

 _Holy shit, her boob was out!_

She was paralyzed, laying out in the open with a man she barely knew practically on top of her, sucking shit out of her, and now, her damn boob was _HANGING OUT!_

Cobra fell back with a pained laugh.

 _Did it at least look good?_

"Okay, that's it." He sighed, giving her a critical eye that was wildly diminished by the grin fighting its way onto his face. "You asked for it."

She couldn't help wondering what she'd asked for. Was it food? Cause she knew she'd asked for food. Well, in her head anyway. And did that actually count?

"And that's exactly what I'm talking about! You think too damn much for me to get this done. Now, you get to sleep."

Sleep? Why did he want her to sleep? Did she want to sleep? She wondered if that would be like dying, cause she was pretty sure she was dying. Or she might be if Cobra didn't start sucking a little faster. _That's what she said._ Still, she didn't want to go to sleep!

Lucy looked up at him, an apology in her mind, but Cobra just shook his head and waved. "Night night Blondie."

She had no idea what he did, but suddenly, the edges of her vision were blurring. Things were going dark. It wasn't completely unpleasant, but she couldn't help but think there was something important she was forgetting. And then, it came to her, just as the light faded away.

Giving one final shout within her mind, she issued a command:

 _Don't look at my boob!_

* * *

 ** _That one was actually loads of fun to write. My mind actually does make bizarre connections during conversations, but like most semi-sane people, I usually keep the majority of it to myself. lol Lucy however, doesn't have this option with Cobra around, which makes for all sorts of hilarity._**

 ** _Anyway, for those of you wanting to know, my story will follow the prompts in this order:_**

 ** _Raspberry_**

 ** _Energy_**

 ** _Colour_**

 ** _Online_**

 ** _Answers_**

 ** _Excuses_**

 ** _Eternity_**

 ** _Aurora_**


	2. Energy

_Okay so this chapter was seriously hard for me to write. I struggled to find an idea that would fit with my story, and I'll warn you, this matches the prompt only just barely! I hope that won't detract from it's content._

 _Big love to my Triplet Sisters: **LittlePrincessNana** and **GemNika** for being the most excellent Triplets ever to walk the face of the earth. They've been amazing helping me out with all this CoLu stuff, even though I'm only marginally decent at it. lol I love you guys!_

* * *

 _Oh and Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail...and ships weird things. But we'll forgive him for that cause he made Cobra and Lucy **:D**_

* * *

 **Day 2: Energy**

Cobra was bored...and annoyed, which was probably not the best combination for someone like him. Anyone that had ever met the Poison Dragon Slayer knew those two together was a recipe for disaster. You'd think by now that Jellal would have known better, but the blue-haired twat waffle wasn't exactly thinking with his head lately. At least not the one that sat on his shoulders. From what Cobra could tell, the other man's thoughts had been originating a whole lot further south over the last few weeks.

It all started the day Cobra saved the blonde Fairy's life. His team had shown up right there at the end, just as he was getting the last of the poison out of her system, and everyone had gone a bit ballistic. Apparently from a distance, it looked like he was kissing her, and all Jellal could think about was what her team would think. And sure as shit, once Team Natsu got involved, the whole thing had gone from a nightmare straight into a damn clusterfuck.

Of course, his team hadn't stayed long. Crime Sorciere never stayed anywhere long anyway, and with the blonde's team antsy to get her back home, it was decided all around that it would be best to move on.

And so Cobra had figured that was the end of it, and things would go back to normal. Business as usual and all that. Only that didn't happen. No, to his absolute disgust, Jellal wouldn't leave it alone. Every other day, he was whining about seeing Erza again, making sure everything was okay. It was all just to keep things good between their mutual guilds of course, according to the blue-haired jackass, but what sort of idiot would actually buy that?

Dude was clearly looking to get laid, and it wasn't a question in anyone's mind who he had in mind for the job.

Which brought it all back to why Cobra was now pushing his way through this crowd of obnoxious people in this equally as nauseating city. Because apparently Erza was going to be here along with the rest of her team, and Blue Waffles had decided they all needed to go to 'check up on Lucy'.

Like anybody believed that load of dragon shit.

Still, here they were, and Cobra was about damn ready to poison each and every fucking person in this place, with the bulk of his attention going to Jellal for bringing them here. He'd kill him slow, give him a chance to really suffer for his sins. Seemed only right considering the hell he was putting Cobra and the rest of their group through. He wouldn't just poison him though. That would be too quick. He'd have to get a little creative to really make it a worthy punishment.

The thought had a grin blossoming on his face and his steps quickening just a bit.

"What the hell are you grinning at?"

Cobra turned to his side and found Macbeth eyeing him suspiciously, and Cobra couldn't help but smile wider. _If only he knew._ "Nothing."

His best friend snorted in that quiet way he had. "Nothing good, you mean."

He smirked. "Maybe."

"Oh hell," Sorano sighed, moving up on the other side of him. "He's planning something, isn't he?"

Midnight nodded, studying Cobra for another moment before asking, "Who's death are you plotting now?"

The dragon slayer had to laugh. They knew him too well. It was no secret to most anyone that Cobra had an evil streak. He didn't exactly try to hide it. He'd done some seriously dark shit in his life time, and while he'd cleaned up his act a hell of a lot, there were just some things a person couldn't get rid of. In his case, it was an enjoyment for violence.

It wasn't without a semblance of order though. He didn't just hurt people indiscriminately. Okay, so maybe he did before, but that was a long time ago. He was different now...sort of. Which meant that while he still found the sound of bones breaking pleasant, he didn't run around shattering every tibia he came across.

"Who said I was plotting anything?" Cobra asked, feigning innocence. He wasn't exactly successful, but what the hell did he care?

"Common sense," Macbeth replied blandly. "Now, who's getting the ax, and how are you getting rid of the body?"

Cobra smirked. "When have I ever left a body?"

Sorano shrugged as she walked beside them. "He has a point."

Before the conversation could go any further, a group of noisy teenagers pushed through the trio of friends, each too busy laughing and carrying on to notice the precarious situation they had just landed in or the murderous looks their backs received as they blew past.

"Can I just summon Raguel?" the snow-haired woman asked, scowling. "I promise I'll clean up my mess."

Macbeth snorted. "Yeah right. You never clean up your mess."

"I do too!"

"No you don't."

"Cobra, I-"

The poison dragon rolled his eyes, all set to agree with his male friend, when suddenly something caught his attention. A voice. Well, not exactly a voice. A soul, and it was pure energy.

 _Oh that's so pretty..._

 _What an ass! He didn't even apologize for bumping into me! I should send Virgo after him. She'd have a blast punishing him._

Was that...

He paused mid-step and focused in, pushing everything else around him to the background. There it was again.

 _God, I'm so tired of walking. Fucking Erza. I swear she's not human._

It was her. It was Lucy.

He found himself strangely pleased at the prospect of seeing her again, which might have been surprising if he hadn't spent the better part of the last two weeks with the crazy woman on his mind. There was something about her that intrigued him, and that wasn't something that happened very often. People, as a whole, usually got on his nerves. Most humans spent all their time looking out for number one, their thoughts centered almost completely on themselves. But what really annoyed Cobra about the average person was how perfectly boring they were. There was almost never anything of interest to find in their souls.

But it wasn't like that with Lucy. The woman was something else.

...like crazy as hell.

She was funny and strange, and her mind was completely bizarre. She was constantly thinking, her soul going ninety miles an hour all the time and about the weirdest things too.

 _How much longer is she going to make us walk?! What I'd give to be paralyzed again..._

Like that. He could hear the fucking amusement in her soul, and he found himself smiling again.

"There he goes again."

His smile dying, he shot Sorano a withering glare, then called out to Jellal, "Yo Jello!"

The blue-haired man turned with pursed lips. "I asked you not to call me-"

"She-Man's over there," Cobra said, cutting him off and pointing in the direction he'd heard the blonde woman.

Instantly, Jellal's expression changed. He didn't even crawl up Cobra's ass for calling Erza names, and that was the one he usually caught the most hell for. But this time it seemed Jellal was too preoccupied to notice. "She is?" he asked, his face suddenly bright with excitement as he changed direction and headed off in search of her.

It was just about enough to make Cobra puke. The man was disgustingly obvious.

"It was Jellal, wasn't it?" Macbeth asked, elbowing the Poison Slayer in the side.

It took Cobra a moment to realize what his friend was asking. "Huh?"

Sorano rolled her eyes. "The one you're plotting against."

"Every fucking day," he said distractedly as Lucy's thoughts reached him again.

 _I wonder if I can convince Erza to let us stop and get something to eat. Probably not. The War Lord wouldn't approve of delaying the mission for something as meaningless as sustenance. She'd probably stop for cake..._

By that time, Cobra was only half paying attention to the conversation going on around him. He was too busy looking for the blonde Fairy.

He refused to think too hard about what he was doing. He wasn't quite sure he was ready to pick apart his intentions, and to be honest, it didn't even matter. He doubted the woman had given him more than a passing thought since he'd last seen her. Considering their history, he imagined she'd rather spend the night swapping spit with that troll-sized guild master of hers than him any day.

And just where the hell had that come from?

Just then, her team turned the corner up ahead, and he got his first view of her in weeks. She looked bored as hell with her shoulders hunched and a sigh puffing out between her parted lips. He scanned her briefly, making sure she'd healed completely from her poisoning, and he found himself suddenly pleased that she seemed none the worse for wear.

She looked good. Better than good, if he was being fucking honest.

"Jellal!"

Lucy's head whipped up at Erza's abrupt shout, and her eyes sifted through his group before meeting his.

 _It's him..._

She held his gaze, and Cobra felt his heart skip a beat when she shot him a shy smile. Her hand lifted a second later in a brief, awkward wave, and before he could think about what he was doing, he was responding with a wave of his own.

Her smile widened at his reaction, and Cobra felt an answering grin pull at the corners of his lips. Damn she was pretty.

 _He smiled at me. I've never seen him really smile before. Well, I probably did when I was poisoned, but that didn't really count right?_

"You know, I think he might be sick. He's smiling a lot today."

Cobra turned just in time to catch Midnight cast him a knowing look before turning to answer their female guildmate. "He's not sick."

"You can't tell that just by looking at him!" Sorano argued, then reached out to place a hand on the Dragon Slayer's forehead. "You feeling alright?"

 _Oh wow, she's so comfortable touching him. I wonder if they're together._

Cobra could almost hear the dejection in her soul at the thought, and he wanted nothing more than to ease her mind. Though why that even mattered to him, he had no idea. He just knew he didn't want her leaving with the idea that Sorano was his girl.

Immediately, Cobra smacked the woman's hand aside. "I'm fine! Stop touching me!"

 _Oh...maybe not._

Cobra instantly relaxed, his smile returning as they made their way toward the other group until he heard Lucy's next thought.

 _Or maybe they are together but he doesn't like public displays of affection._

Once again, the blonde's soul trilled with disappointment, and Cobra could relate. He was about ready to lose his mind already. Why the hell did she keep thinking about him with Sorano? They were friends, nothing more. Hell, half the time, he was thinking up ways to kill her!

The white-haired woman frowned at him. "No need to get all violent, asshole. I was just making sure you weren't about to die!"

Still anxious about Lucy imaging crazy things, Cobra snapped back, "Well cut it out! None of your damn business if I die or not!"

Macbeth raised a single black eyebrow at that, but didn't say a word. That would be the extent of the pale-faced man's involvement, and Cobra couldn't find it in himself to be anything other than grateful. He wasn't sure what the hell his issue was, but he _was_ damn sure he didn't want to go into it right then with all the Fairies around.

"Oh go suck a cock and die!" Sorano sneered, smacking him on the back of the head and dropping back to walk with Sawyer.

 _Okay, so not together. Why does that make me so happy?_

Cobra had no answer for that, but the fact that it did make her happy had him damn near delirious.

He followed the Blue BoyScout to the group of Fairies across the town square, narrowly avoiding catching an elbow to the face. He scowled back at the giggly bitch who'd almost clocked him and imagined her twisting her ankle in one of the many potholes he'd already encountered on his way here. As if providence had blessed his thoughts, the girl stumbled and fell face first in a puddle.

Almost immediately, a smirk shot across his face. He loved when karma played for his team.

A giggle had him turning his head, and to his surprise, he found the blonde woman who'd burrowed into his mind watching the girl's misfortune with a look of absolute glee.

 _Oh my God, that was perfect. Karma you are an epic bitch!_

Cobra couldn't help but grin. He'd had no idea she had such a dark streak. He'd always thought of the Celestial Mage as sweet and kind, forgiving as hell. But just now, he'd seen another side of her, one that had his interest ratcheting up even higher.

"Whatcha laughin' at Luce?"

Cobra let his eyes drift to the right and promptly scowled at the pink-haired slayer draping his arm across Lucy's shoulders. Were they together? No, that couldn't be right. When she'd gotten poisoned, she'd been whining about not getting to kiss anyone.

Then again, it had been weeks since then. Maybe they'd started dating after that.

Cobra's mood instantly turned sour.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy nudged Natsu's arm off her shoulders and pointed toward the muddy teenage girl in the distance. "She almost hit Cobra in the face, and then she tripped and fell in the mud."

Their eyes met again, and Cobra found himself unable to look away, his smile from earlier reappearing when her lips curved.

 _God he has a sexy smile..._

"Okay, what is going on with you?" Sorano suddenly asked, staring at him with critical eye. "You never smile this much."

He knew the minute Lucy's soul went quiet that Sorano's words had made her question his availability again. And under no fucking circumstances did he want Lucy to doubt that. Cause he'd finally figured it all out. He wanted her...bad.

Blowing out a puff of air, he turned and walked to where his white-haired friend was. Their teammates's eyes went wide and they all moved back when he began pulling her away. He leaned in, keeping his voice low, and growled, "Leave me the fuck alone for a goddamn minute!"

She drew back in shock, her face clouding over with annoyance again a moment later as she eased forward and sniped, "Why the hell should I?"

"Because you're making her think we're together, you fucking feather duster!"

Sorano was quiet for a moment, her expression considering, and then she grinned. "You like the little Fairy, don't you?" When he didn't immediately answer, her smile went devious and she stepped in close. Too damn close. "Holy shit, you do. All that poison sucking get you all hot and bothered?"

He was going to kill her. It hadn't been a foregone conclusion at first, but now...now, she was as good as dead.

"Don't fuck with me."

The white-haired woman bit her lip and snickered, reaching out to place a palm against his chest. "Why? Want her to do it instead?"

 _Okkaayyy...I guess maybe I was wrong. Maybe they are a thing, at least in the sex department. I mean, look at them. They're so casual with each other._

"Sorano, I'm warning you..." Cobra growled, his patience at an end. She was doing this on purpose. The woman had never been interested in him, still wasn't, but now that she knew he might be interested in someone else, she was getting her kicks by busting his balls. "If you keep making her think we're fucking, I'm gonna slit your throat and burn your fucking body to ashes!"

"Well, damn. No need to get all psycho about it," she pouted, crossing her arms and turning her head aside. "I was just messing around."

"Well cut it out. You're pissing me off."

Without another word, he stalked off, heading back toward Lucy and the rest of her crazy team. He was suddenly exhausted. Sometimes dealing with the other psychotic members of his guild was too much. He could feel a headache coming on, and he wanted nothing more than to head back to his fucking tent and sleep for the next fucking day. But he couldn't. Well, he could, but he wasn't going to do that because he had no intention of wasting this opportunity.

Taking a step forward, he grabbed Lucy's hand and yanked her away from her partner. "C'mon. Let's talk."

 _I wonder what he wants to talk about. His hand is so big compared to mine...and warm._

Natsu jumped at him, trying to pull them apart. "Where the hell are you taking her?"

"None of your fucking business, pissant! Go find your own girl to talk to. This one's busy!"

Natsu took another step when Lucy raised a hand and smiled. "I'm fine Natsu. Why don't you go find yourself something to eat?"

All at once, the dragon slayer's eyes lit up and his mouth watered. "Food..."

He was gone instantly, but in his place was the ever annoying Erza. "And what exactly do you need to talk to Lucy about?"

"The size of my dick!" Cobra tossed back snidely. "What the fuck do you care?"

 _Oh my God, did he really just say that?_

Cobra could hear her trying not to laugh, and suddenly, he found himself wanting to laugh too.

"I care because she is my teammate!" Erza declared pointedly. _And you're a criminal._

"Well, you don't need to know how big my cock is, so take a step back cupcake."

The redhead's eyes narrowed, her thoughts spinning out of control as she reached for her sword. "And why the hell does Lucy need to know how big you are?!"

"Erza," Jellal started, laughing nervously as he moved between her and Cobra. "He's just being crude to piss you off. He's not going to hurt her."

Her glare shifted direction. "And how do you know that?"

"Because he lik-"

 _Aww...c'mon. I wanted to know what she was gonna say._

Cobra glared at Sorano, his hand clapped tightly over her mouth. "I'll kill you."

Macbeth sighed. "C'mon Sorano. Let's go...do something before you die."

He took hold of her arm, giving her a pointed look, then led her away from the crowd, leaving Cobra to face the quiet Celestial mage at his side. He was surprised she was still where he'd left her. She could have easily gone back to her team, especially considering how bizarre the whole conversation had gone so far.

But she just smiled sheepishly. "How about we sit over there? My feet are killing me."

"Lucy-" Erza started, moving to intercept them when Lucy stopped and faced her.

"I'm fine Erza. Stop worrying so much." The blonde winked at her red-haired friend then. "Why don't you go show Jellal a good time?"

The knight's face went bright at Lucy's suggestion, and Cobra couldn't resist laughing. He hadn't expected Lucy to come right out and say that. Hell they all knew what Jellal had come here for, but no one had actually called them out on it yet. The fact that Lucy did so without qualms had him cracking up.

Not waiting for another response, Lucy spun and marched toward the bench she'd mentioned before. She dropped neatly onto the seat, then patted the spot beside her. "Now, what did you want to talk about?"

His lips curled. He couldn't help it. She was fucking cute. And on top of that, and her rocking body, she was a smart ass, which really set him off. Very few women would get his brand of humor, but something told him she would. Hell, she hadn't even flinched when he'd suggested that he intended to show her his dick.

Maybe she _wanted_ to see it.

He sure as fuck hoped so.

"So uh...how ya been?"

 _Tired. Hungry. Horny._

He almost burst out laughing at that, the tension drawing his muscles up tight almost completely dissapating.

"Not bad," she hummed with a wink. "How about you? Sucked poison out of any random women lately?"

His grin went wide. "Hundreds. And that's just in the last week."

Lucy laughed. "I see. And here I thought I was special."

Cobra tipped his head. "Well, you are the only one that flashed a tit."

"I knew it!" she yelled, her face going red. "I knew my boob was hanging out!"

"Just a little."

Lucy ducked her head. "Oh my God, that's so embarrassing. Did everyone else-"

"It was just me. I covered you up before anyone else saw it."

"Oh thank Mavis. I can't believe that happened. I feel like I should apologize."

Cobra grinned. "You don't have to apologize to me for that. Best thing I'd seen all day."

 _Should I be embarrassed by that? Or proud?_

Lucy pouted, her face still flushed pink. "Only all day? I'd have thought it would be worth at least a week."

Was she flirting with him?

"Okay it was definitely worth at least a week, but any more than that, and I'll have to see it again to be sure."

The blonde woman blushed again. "Well, you haven't quite earned that just yet, have you?"

Cobra felt his eyebrows wing up. _Yet?_ Did that mean he had a chance of earning another look at her tits?

"Are you saying that's doable? Cause I'm a really hard worker...like _really_ hard."

Lucy gasped, a laugh billowing up right after. "I haven't said anything yet."

There was that word again. Yet. It seemed she wasn't completely discounting anything where he was concerned. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

"So what you're not saying is that I might have a shot," Cobra said, his lips curling into a smirk.

He watched as the Celestial Mage bit her lip and shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know? Why's that?"

Lucy leaned forward, a side grin on her face. "You haven't told me how big you are yet."

* * *

 _ **A/N: I've got work the rest of this week, so I probably won't be able to update. But don't fret. I'm still working on things even if they aren't getting posted yet. I'm slow, I know, and I apologize. But I promise to stick with it until it's completed.**_

 _ **See you all again really soon.**_

 _ **Fingers crossed!**_


	3. Online

_Oh look? I actually finished another thing! lol_

 _Now, I will admit I'm not completely in love with this chapter, so I hope you'll forgive me if it's not up to par. I really did try my best._

 _Thanks again to my Triplet Sisters for checking this over. I love you guys so much!_

* * *

 _Don't forget! Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail, as evidenced by the fact that Gajeel and Lucy aren't canon yet._

* * *

 _ **Day 3: Online**_

It was nearing 9 o'clock at night when Lucy pulled her lacrima powered laptop from her desk and climbed up on her bed to write the next chapter of her novel. Dark had fallen across Magnolia, and slowly but surely the town was settling down for the night. It was Lucy's favorite time to write, probably because her team was usually far away in their own houses and she could finally get a little peace and quiet.

She'd been so busy lately she hadn't had a chance to devote much time to her novel, though that might have been more in part because of the horribly resistant streak of writer's block she'd run into recently. But all that was history now because tonight, inspiration had struck, and she finally felt like she could push through the scene that had been giving her so much trouble.

Taking a quick sip of her hot tea, she slipped her earbuds into her ear and turned on her music. She smiled as one of her favorite songs started playing, one that had never failed to get her creative spark going. In only a matter of moments, she had the document open and her fingers were flying over the keys.

It was nearly 2 hours later when her eye caught a flash in the lower right hand corner of her laptop screen. So engrossed in her writing, it took her a moment to realize that someone had messaged her on Skype. She debated clicking on the Skype icon. She knew if she did, she probably wouldn't go back to her writing. It had happened too many times before.

Still, she couldn't stop her curiosity. Maybe she could just see who it was. It didn't mean she had to get involved in a full-on conversation. She could just let them know she was in the middle of something and message them back later when she was finished.

Before the idea could cement itself in her mind, she'd already clicked the little blue icon. Almost immediately, the chat window popped up, revealing who was trying to talk to her, and she couldn't help but smile.

 _Cobra..._

It was apparently time for their weekly chat. Cobra had picked up the habit of contacting her at least once a week since she'd seen him at that festival months ago. They'd exchanged contact information, including Skype names. She wasn't sure which had surprised her more - the fact that Cobra even knew what Skype was or that he'd decided he wanted to chat with her on there.

Out of everyone on Earthland, she'd have counted herself the last person Cobra would ever want to spend time with. But maybe that was just because of their history. After all, she'd put all that aside. Maybe he had too.

They'd started out small, a text here and there. Just your basic conversation. _Hey, what are you doing? How was your day?_ Or in Cobra's case - _How_ _the hell's your week been? What sorta shit you getting into?_

She wasn't quite sure how it had all happened, but now they'd gone from short, almost boring interactions to these long, entertaining conversations. It had become very commonplace for Cobra to message her late at night after they'd finished up a job or once his team had gone to bed. He didn't sleep much, and with her penchant for writing late into the night, the time seemed to work for both of them.

And Lucy would be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed it. The man was strangely intelligent and funny. His crass sense of humor never failed to give her a laugh, and that was especially nice on days when her team drove her nuts. In truth, something about him pulled at her, and she'd found her interest piquing with each interaction.

But Lucy knew it wasn't friendship he was after. He'd made himself pretty clear he wanted more than that. But Lucy wasn't sure that was the best idea. She'd been through the whole relationship thing, and though she wasn't entirely certain that's even what Cobra wanted, she couldn't see going through it again. Maybe he was strictly interested in sex. He'd certainly made enough veiled and not quite so subtle advances in that direction to convince her that was at least part of it, but more than that, she just didn't know.

Honestly, she was a little lost where he was concerned. She enjoyed talking to him. He made her smile, made her feel a little carefree in a way she hadn't in a long time, and that was something special. But she wasn't sure she wanted it to be anything more than friendship. After her breakup six months ago, she preferred to be cautious. No more jumping in or following her heart without reservation. She'd gotten burned bad, and to her, it just hadn't been worth the risk of it happening again.

Only Cobra wasn't exactly making it easy. The man was persistent. And clever. And sexy.

Yes, he was definitely sexy.

She didn't need to see him again to remember that. There was something dark and mysterious about the man, an intensity she found really difficult to ignore. He was unlike anyone she'd ever known. Definitely a little disturbed. After all, a person couldn't be entirely sane if they enjoyed violence as much as he did, but for some reason that didn't exactly deter her.

Maybe it was her time in Fairy Tail and all the things she'd seen during her time there, but she just couldn't look at things the same way. She'd learned that people weren't always what they appeared. Like Gajeel. At their first meeting, she'd been certain he was completely lost. He was wicked and cruel, and she couldn't have seen him any way other than bad. But now, after knowing him for years, she knew the truth. He was a decent guy who'd been through a lot.

In much the same way, Cobra was also more than he appeared. They hadn't gotten into his past, or hers to be honest. Things hadn't progressed quite that far, but something told Lucy that Cobra had a history like Gajeel's. Considering he'd been a prisoner at the Tower of Heaven like Erza, there was little doubt he'd experienced hard times. And Lucy was the last person to hold a grudge.

Besides, he'd more than repaid his debt to her. He'd saved her life. Even before that, he'd done good, like helping fight the dragons that had come through the Eclipse Gate. Even knowing he would be going right back to prison afterward, he'd gone out and fought along side them. And that meant something.

It meant there was good in him. And a lot of it.

And Lucy was a sucker for a changed man, which was why this was all so difficult. A large part of her wanted to give him a chance, and it made sense. He was a great looking guy, one that could easily match her in wit and intelligence, and he was funny. And the fact that he had joined with Jellal to try to rid the world of evil was a big mark in his favor, but was that all really enough to put aside her concerns?

Who was to say that once involved, he wouldn't lose interest or change his mind? And what if she was already in too deep to come away unscathed? Good guy or not, he could still hurt her.

Shaking her head, she turned back to her computer and promptly snorted. Cobra had sent her another message. Impatient man.

 _Cobra: Where the hell are you? I know you're on._

 _Lucy:_ _I'm here._

 _Cobra:_ _Took you long enough. What were you doin? Masturbating?_

Lucy had to roll her eyes. Of course he would go there first. He was a man after all, one that seemed to have sex on the brain all the damn time.

 _Lucy:_ _Yeah and you're interfering with all that._

 _Cobra:_ _Want some help instead?_

 _Lucy:_ _And how exactly would you be able to help me when you're way the hell across the country?_

 _Cobra:_ _Hey you give the word, and I'll be on my way right fucking now._

 _Lucy:_ _lol Nice try, but you're days away from here._

 _Cobra:_ _I could always give you something to masturbate to._

 _Lucy:_ _And what makes you think you have anything that would interest me?_

 _Cobra:_ _I've got a big cock, and you've got great taste._

She couldn't help laughing at that. She didn't doubt for a minute he was telling the truth, and while the thought of finding out for herself was more than a little tempting, she knew she should decline. Because even though he believed her to have good taste in men, she knew differently. Her radar had already proven to be a fucking nightmare.

 _Lucy:_ _If you say so._

 _Cobra:_ _Oh so you don't believe me? How about I show you?_

 _Lucy:_ _What, you gonna send me pics?_

 _Cobra:_ _You want some? Didn't think you'd be into that._

 _Lucy:_ _lol I never said I was._

 _Cobra:_ _You never said you weren't either._

 _Lucy:_ _I'm not._

But if she were, he'd be the first person she'd be asking. It was obvious the man was built, and she'd wondered more than once exactly what he looked like underneath his clothes. But she'd just have to live with wondering because she really couldn't afford to go there.

 _Cobra:_ _Whatever you say babe._

 _Lucy:_ _Didn't we talk about you calling me babe?_

 _Cobra:_ _Did we?_

 _Lucy:_ _You know we did._

 _Cobra:_ _And?_

 _Lucy:_ _And...you're not supposed to call me that. We're just friends._

 _Cobra:_ _For now_

 _Lucy:_ _Cobra..._

 _Cobra:_ _Lucy..._

 _Lucy:_ _You're impossible._

 _Cobra:_ _Impossibly hot._

She couldn't exactly deny that. It wasn't like she didn't have eyes in her head.

 _Cobra:_ _Impossibly great in bed._

She just bet he was. And she really wished she could find out for herself, but she knew how she was. She couldn't just have sex with him and not get attached. It just wasn't in her to keep those things separate. She'd sleep with him and find herself knee deep in feels, and that just wouldn't work. Wanting him in theory, in her head, was one thing, but letting that desire direct her actions could only lead to trouble. She'd learned that shit the hard way.

 _Lucy:_ _Yeah yeah. I get the message. Nice to see you've still got some humility._

 _Cobra:_ _No need for humility if it's the truth._

 _Lucy:_ _And where exactly are you getting your information? The floozies you pick up in every town you blow through?_

 _Cobra:_ _I don't need anyone to tell me that shit. A man fucking knows._

Lucy felt a wave of sadness that he'd all but ignored her second question. That was the very crux of her issue with dating - the potential of other people coming between her and her significant other. She'd already been through that once, and she just couldn't do it again. She'd struggled so much since then to feel confident in herself, to not question her ability to retain a man's interest. And with Cobra's life being mostly on the road, and away from Magnolia, she didn't have the strength to trust that he wouldn't find someone else while he was gone.

Feeling depressed, Lucy sighed. She should probably just log off. She wasn't in the mood to talk to him anymore right now. And yes, she knew she was being ridiculous, wanting him but not wanting to go after him and also being jealous that he was with other girls. It was stupid and juvenile, but she just couldn't help it. She was a mess, which was exactly why she needed to go to bed.

She'd just set her fingers back on the keys, intending to bid him goodnight when another message popped up on her screen, and this one had her heart stalling in her chest.

 _Cobra:_ _And the only damn floozy I want is you._

It was probably the worst compliment a guy had ever said to her considering he'd just basically called her promiscuous, but in a strange way, it made her feel good. Not the promiscuous part of course, cause that was just wrong, but the other part had her feeling special. And why the hell that was, she didn't know. She should be mad or annoyed at least, right? But she just couldn't find it in herself.

 _Cobra:_ _Not that I think you're fucking loose or anything, cause I don't do sluts._

She laughed. Well, at least he'd added that. Even if it was an afterthought.

 _Lucy:_ _Well, that's good to know, I guess._

 _Cobra:_ _Wanna video chat?_

Lucy froze at that, unsure how to respond. Why did he want to video chat now? Absently, she reached up to her hair, checking to see just how badly she looked before she answered.

 _Lucy:_ _Why?_

She could almost imagine Cobra groaning and rolling his eyes at her question, but she really didn't know if seeing him was the best idea. It was already difficult enough resisting him without actually seeing him. How on earthland was she supposed to remain steadfast in her decision to keep her distance if she subjected herself to a live version of him. She'd be a downright mess.

And that wasn't even taking into account his sexy voice.

 _Cobra: Because I'm naked and I want you to see._

 _Lucy: ..._

 _Cobra: I wanna talk to you about something, and typing is pissing me off._

What could he possibly want to talk about that required video chatting? And why the hell did it scare her so much?

 _Lucy: I don't know..._

 _Cobra: What the fuck are you afraid of?_

 _Lucy: Who says I'm afraid?_

 _Cobra: Me. So what gives?_

 _Lucy: Why can't you just tell me now? Like this?_

 _Cobra: Why can't you just talk to me on video?_

 _Lucy: It's kinda late._

 _Cobra: Excuse. You stay up until 3 AM all the fucking time. It's only 2:30._

 _Cobra: You're not gonna leave me hanging, are you?_

Lucy swallowed hard. She wanted more than anything to see him again, to talk to him again. But she couldn't help being nervous too. This felt all too real. But how could she tell him no? it wasn't like he was asking something of her that she wouldn't do with any of her friends. It was all an excuse like he said because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to resist him.

 _Lucy: Alright. Fine._

 _Lucy: Call me._

 _Cobra: You better answer._

 _Lucy: You better not say a word about my hair._

 _Cobra: Why? Does it look like shit?_

 _Lucy: Ass, it looks fucking gorgeous like it always does._

 _Cobra: Then why'd you say something about it? Must look like shit._

 _Lucy: Fine, it kinda does._

 _Cobra: Like I give a shit._

Not even a moment later, a screen popped up inviting her to accept a call from him, and Lucy paused, trying to gather her wits about her before clicking the little green button.

Instantly, Cobra's face filled the screen, and Lucy had to remind herself to breathe. He looked so good, and when he shot her that smile that was more like a smirk, she felt her heart flutter.

"H-Hey," she stuttered.

"Thought you weren't gonna answer for a minute there."

She nodded. "I almost didn't."

And why the hell did she just tell him that?

"I'm glad you did."

"Why?"

Cobra studied her for a second, then answered, "Because I wanted to see you."

Warmth spread through her chest at his words. She wondered if maybe he felt just as drawn to her as she did to him. She'd wanted to see him too, but she'd never had the courage to do it. Seeing him, she'd assumed, would just make her want him that much more.

And now, she could see she was right. Because just that small handful of words were shaking her determination to stay out of his reach.

"You did?"

Cobra snorted. "You know I did. Or at least you should. I haven't exactly been fucking cryptic about wanting you."

Eyes casting downward, Lucy smiled. That much was true. He'd been beyond candid about his interest in her. She just wished she knew if she could trust him enough to give him a shot.

She bit her lip, struggling with herself over what she really wanted to do. In truth, what she wanted was him. But it wasn't that simple. How could she start something up with him, knowing she would probably drive the both of them nuts with her fears and insecurities. She'd always worry he was losing interest or cheating or any number of other awful scenarios her mind could concoct. She'd see warning signs in everything he said or did, and she'd never know if it was all just in her head or something real.

She was just too fucked up to get involved.

"I wish I could fucking hear your soul right now," Cobra suddenly muttered. "I know something's going on, and I don't have a fucking clue what it is."

Forcing a smile, Lucy shook her head. "Nothing's going on."

"Now you're gonna lie?"

"Cobra-"

Scowling, Cobra cut her off. "You can keep the shit to yourself if you want, but don't lie to me. I'm not a fucking moron. I know something's happening with you."

Lucy instantly felt bad. She wasn't trying to lie for the sake of deceiving him. She just didn't know how to explain all the shit going on inside her head. "I'm sorry. I...I just don't know what to say."

"You could just tell me what the fuck's bothering you."

It sounded so simple, and yet, Lucy knew it wasn't so easy.

He frowned. "This have anything to do with why you won't go out with me?"

Her stomach was in knots. She hadn't thought they'd ever have this conversation. She thought she could avoid it forever, but Cobra didn't play by anyone else's rules. No, he just cut through all the bullshit and reached right into her heart, demanding answers. And Mavis help her, she was going to give them to him. Or at least part of them.

"Yes."

Silently, he tipped his head, as if considering her. "Okay then first answer this. Do you want to go out with me?"

"Cobra, it's not that cut and dry."

"Like hell it's not. Stop thinking about all the other shit for a minute and just answer the damn question."

Lucy sighed. "Yes, but-"

She looked up just in time to see a smile hit his face, and then he said, "Then what's the problem?"

Exasperated, the blonde huffed. "It's not a good idea!"

"Why the hell not?"

Why was he making this so basic? It was anything but. Everything about her was complicated, at least where he was concerned. "Because I suck at relationships!"

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"Cobra, just...just leave it alone." Lucy felt like crying. She really did, and it made her want to log off again. She didn't want to still be online when the tears decided to hit.

If only Cobra would cooperate.

Too bad the man had never been the cooperative type. "Not a fucking chance," he growled as he leaned forward. "Is it me? The shit I did in the past, I mean?"

"God, no Cobra. You know I don't care about all that."

"Then what the fuck is it?"

The first tear pricked her eyes, and Lucy nearly hit the disconnect button when Cobra spoke again, "Come on babe. Just tell me. You're fucking killing me with this shit."

And Lucy suddenly found herself wanting to spill it all, every damn thing that haunted her. She had no idea why, but Cobra made her feel safer than she'd felt in a long time. Maybe he'd understand. Maybe...

Or maybe he'd decide she was crazy as hell, more trouble than she was worth.

God, she was so sick of feeling like this. Afraid of everything, suspicious of everyone. It was exhausting.

"I...I'm afraid."

Cobra sat up a little straighter. "Of what?"

"Of...of getting too close."

"Why would that scare you? Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

Lucy shook her head. She just didn't know how to explain it! "I don't want to get hurt!"

Cobra sighed. "What makes you think you're gonna get hurt if you go out with me?"

"I told you. I suck at relationships."

"Babe, I don't know what that fucking means," he said, his voice oddly gentle. "You're gonna have to explain it to me."

Lucy's lip trembled as she finally whispered, "You're gonna get tired of me."

"Wha-"

"You want me right now, but after a while you won't. You'll want someone else, and then you'll be gone."

Cobra sat there in silence for several long minutes before he asked, "Is that why you made that crack about the fucking floozies?"

By this time, Lucy was too embarrassed to answer, so she shrugged noncommitally.

"Lucy," he started, his voice soft but stern. "I don't want anyone else."

"Not right now."

Cobra shook his head. "Don't hand me that shit. I don't want anyone but you, and I'm not the kinda guy to run after every wet pussy that crosses my fucking path!"

Lucy cringed at the heat in his tone. "Cobra-"

"No, you listen to me for a fucking minute. You've got all this shit in your head about what might happen. What if I do this? What if I do that? But what if I make you really fucking happy? What if everything is perfect and we're like fucking nauseatingly happy together?"

Lucy didn't know what to say. That was the dream, the one she'd stopped believing existed in her future months ago. She'd lost her ability to have faith in anything.

"Come on, babe. Are you really going to let this shit beat you? The Lucy I know wouldn't stop until she fucking won."

And maybe that was the real rub. That's what she'd really lost - her belief in herself, in her judgment. She doubted her ability to recognize a good man, one who truly wanted her. So how did she go about getting that back?

Maybe this was the first step, taking a chance on someone new. Or not really even someone new, but on Cobra specifically. Could she do that? Could she put aside her fears and try?

She looked up and found Cobra waiting for her answer. She was surprised he'd said nothing more, but she supposed he was giving her the time he thought she needed to really consider what he'd said. And she was. For the first time in a long while, she found herself feeling a little positive, and as she studied his face, she realized she really wanted this. She wanted him more than she wanted to protect herself.

And so, she put aside the worries flooding her mind and nodded her head. She could do this. She had to.

"O-Okay."


End file.
